Thread control mechanism for weft replenishing looms



March 4, 1947. TURNER 2,416,803

THIiEAD CONTROL MECHANISM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING- LOOM Filed Aug. 26, 1944 INVENTQR RIGHARD ci- TURNER Chm- Hamgl] AT TORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1947 THREAD CONTROL MECHANISM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass., assignor to p a Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

, .Ma'ss., a corporation of Massachusetts I Application August 26, 1944; Serial no. 551,287 b (crime-257)" A 3 Claims.

This is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 526,033, filed March 11, 1944, now Patent No. 2,390,014.

This invention relates to improvements in thread control mechanisms for weft replenishing 1ooms and it is the general object of the invention to provide means by which the thread of the transferred bobbin may be effectively removed from the loom.

" Weft replenishing mechanisms more particularly of the multicolor type employ a magazine provided with afseries =of reserve bobbins from which weft ends extend. These weft ends are generally led tosome form of thread holder serving as an anchorage to assist in threading the shuttle during the pick immediately following a transferring operation. It has been proposed heretofore to utilize pneumatic "thread holders which operate bymean'sof a draft of airnot only to hold the weft ends taut and assist the shuttle threading operation but also to remove the thread i of the transferred bobbin after cutting at the selvage. The threadof 'the transferred bobbin extending from the thread'holder and awaiting cutting at theselvage should preferably be held in such'position that it will'not interfere with a second bobbin should another transfer be called prior to cutting of the thread. It is accordingly an important object of my present invention to provide-a hookor the like which will hold the- "thread of the transferred bobbinin an advanced position out'of :the path'ofithe bobbin moving from the magazineinto the shuttle; In thisconnection I provide means for placing the'thread of the transferred bobbinover its hook or the like before a second transfer can occur. .7 I r I It isanother object of the invention to provide the pneumatic thread holder'l'with' an intake mouth-formedion'the end ofratube so disposed that the thread engagingnotch of the hook-lies Esubstantially' on the" tube axis. By this arrangement the hooksserves'as a" guide to direct the 'threadwhen the flattens cut along apath leading into the mouth or the thread-holder without engaging the periphery of the'latter.

It is another object ofthe inventiontoiprovide vention more particularly relates it is cutomary to employ a pneumatic thread remover in addition to the threadholder. 'Theremover islocated between the magazine and the sewage and acts upon the thread of the outgoing bobbin in such manner as to remove it from the path of the shuttle. Heretofore the thread of the vincoming bobbin has been so located that its inner end could beattracted by, the thread remover, in which event both endsof theethreads are drawn into pneumatic vdevices neither one .of' which is strong. enoughto overpowerqthe othen As a resuit the thread hangssuspended between the thread holder and the thread remover whereit can be broken andbe drawn into thewarp shed.

1 It is another' im'po'rtant object of my present invention, to place the aforesaid hook in. such relationship relatively to; the thread remover that the latter?- will notfbe able to attract the inner ,end of the thread of the'incomingvbo bbin. This result I accomplish .by locating the hook far enough forwardly of the la'yto cause the thread of the incoming bobbin to form a relatively large angle with the thread of the outgoing bobbin which extends to the remover. Under these conditions there is little or no likelihood that the incoming thread can approach the mouth of the thread remover.

After the first beat-up following a transfer operation there are ordinarily two threads leadfro the l nths r threa i av been laid by the outgoing bobbin extending to the thread remover and the rear thread having been laid by the incomingbobbin' extendingto the aforesaid hook. The inc'o'm'irig thread is therefore behind thethread 'of' the outgoingbobbin and under normal conditions would be cutieither after or simultaneously with cutting of the thread a hook mounted preferably on the stationary part I hook. -Th'e latter is'preferably higher-than the .placer so that during succeeding forward movementsofthe lay the thread on the hook willrnot :be disturbed :by the placer 1 In looms of the general type to which my inof'the' outgoin'g'bobbini When this order of cutting'occurs it is found that 'entangl'ementof the two threads sometimes-results causing the incomingthread to be drawn intothe remover." -It 'isanother object of -my invention to cross the aforesaid two threads close to'the selvage and tanglement.

thread away from both the salvage and the thread remover and the thread of theoutgoin bobbin may then. bewcut on a later pick without I danger that it will draw the thread of the inresides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described a d set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a weft replenishing loom having my invention appliedthereto,

Fig.2 is a plan view looking in the direction of, arrow 2, Fig. l, and showing part of the struc- I ture shown in Fig. '1 on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the I thread hook and thread placerinside elevation as they appear in Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale, and indicating the manner in which the placer, locates the thread over-the hook as the lay advances on the beat-up immediately following 5 "transfer,

Fig. '4 is a fragmentary view similar to a part of Fig. 3 but showing how the placer passes under the thread on the hook during later beat-ups of theilay, and r Fig; 5 is a, diagrammatic plan view showing the relation of the two threads, the selvage, the hook and placer, and the pneumatic attachments con- I nected to their respective threads.

Referring particularly to Figs. '1 and 2, I have shown a loom frame 'l-U having a lay H driven by connectors 12 attached to the usual top or crank j shaft l3. The lay provided with a shuttle box l4 which receives a shuttle S containing a bobbin B. A magazine M having front and back bobbin 1 guid'eways l5 and 16, respectively, has extending therefrom a series of weft ends W leading from Ithef reserve bobbins R in the guideways i5 and 16. The magazine is provided with .a transferrer arm l! "pivoted as at It and having a latch is for 1 cooperation with a 'bunterZll on the lay. .A weft 1 detector D of any approved form maybe used for determining the condition of weft fbn the bobbin A setting head 2| is lifted by mechanism not shown but under control of the weft detector, 1 and when the head rises it lifts the latch 4| 9 into the path of the hunter 20, thereby causing the f transferrer arm to move a .bobbinfrom the magazineinto the shuttle S .as the lay approaches .front ,thelay recedes. Extending from the accumuilatoris a second tube 33 which leadsto a pneumatic; thread remover 34 locatedtbetween-the lmagazine and the fabric 'The thread remover is normally raised butis depressed. at'the, time of transfer: A tube orcylinder :35 extends from the accumulator A toward the 'magaz-ine and has i :an intake mouth 36 through which air drawn into tube .35 tendsto :draw the weft ends W. ,The accumulator A' and thertu'be 35 may :be supported on ,a'bracket 31 fastened to the loom .frame. Mechanism designated .generaLly at :38 may :be employed for rocking the magazine M so thatthe *lowe'st bobbin of either :of the stacksl 5 or :I Bmay dislocated under the :transferrer arm 11. The mouth 36 communicates with the interiorlof the accumulator through an air passage 39 in well known manner.

A thread cutter designated at 40 is provided with a blade ll which is positioned to enter an aperture 42 in the box front 43' when the lay moves forwardly during a transfer operation, otherwise the cutter i held forwardly by a part 44 of the transfer mechanism." When the cutter blade is in rear position, however, it serves to cut the thread T extending from the bobbin B through the shuttle eye E and along the front wall 43 to the selvage 45 of the, fabric. A temple &6 is provided with a temple cutter designated at :41.

In the operation of the mechanism thus far described the lay "reciprocates back and forth in the usual manner-and the shuttle is picked by mechanism designated at 48 when the layis approximately half way between its front and back positions and moving rearwardly. The shuttle enters :the box It! while the lay. is moving forwar-dly and the detector D performs its detecting operation when the 1ay;is:in the front center position indicated :in Fig. .1. During the backward stroke of the, lay the pump .Zdcreatessubatmospheric pressures within the accumulator A and thereby draws air into the intake mouth .36 and through tube 35, and also draws airintothe thread remover 34. When the transferrer arm-is depressed the cutter blade 41 will move rear wa-rdly to cut the thread T adjacent to the shuttle eyeE and at the same time the lowest bobbin in one or the other of the stacks 15 or 1.6 will :be moved from the magazine into the shuttle S,

thereby effecting the downward movement of the corresponding weft end ,W. *As shown inFig. 1, bobbin B in stack 01' guideway 15 is in position for transfer. These operations occur whilethe lay is on front center and .as the lay moves rearwardly the thread T will-approach the thread remover 34 which has been temporarily lowered to thread receiving position, after which the shuttle is picked, thereby freeing that partof thread T between the shuttle :and the box front 43. The thread remover 34 thereupon draws the right end of the thread T into itself and theleft end of the thread T extends'from the remover 34 to the :selvage 45. On the next beat-up of'the lay the thread W" of the transferred :bobbin beaten to the fellof the cloth 50 by means :of the reed 5 l on the lay. "The thread of the transferred bobbin is therefore one pick behind the thread of the outgoing bobbin and both :of these threads "extend from the selvageto the'right. The 'tem 'ple cutter A"! is of the usualtype andh'asa thread cutting'operation at every forward beat of the lay, but its range of operations is several picks .in advance of the fell. i

The matterfthus far. describedrismf common construction and of itselfformsnno part of 'my present invention. Forfurther understanding .of the structure and operations involved reference may belhad to the following patents: 72,199,353; 2,199,296; 2,199,354 and-2,326,905.

In carrying my. present invention 'into effect I provide means for holding thelthreadW' ina' position forward of the lay-where it will not interfere with a transfer and whereitcan'be out prior to the cutting of thread T. Accordingly, I mount a hook on a stationary standfil for the mega-- zine .and provide the hook with a slot '62 receiving a screw 63 threaded into part 6|, thereby permitting the hook to be adjusted as to its back and forth position. The hook is provided 'wi thanotch 6A which faces forwardly, and there is aH--l1pW9iTdly and forwardlyextendingguid'surface or edge 65 onthe hooks leading to, the notch-64. As shown in Fig. 2 the hook is considerably in advance of the shuttle box and lay when the latter is on front may be secured as at 13 to the front part of'the "la see Fig.2, and is ordinarlly atsuch an elevation that it will'pass belowthe notch 64 of'the 'stationaryhook.

During the beating-up of the lay immediately after picking of the replenished shuttle the thread W is engaged by edge H and moved into notch 12. As the lay advances the thread W is moved forwardly up the inclined surface 65 and into the notch 64. This part of the operation is indicated in Fig. 3, where the thread placer is indicated in full line position behind the thread W, while the dotted line position shows the thread after it has been moved into notch 64. The thread placer then moves forwardly from the dotted position of Fig. 3 to the dotted line position of Fig. 4,

reaching this position when the lay is on front center. As the lay recedes the placer moves along a path under the thread W as suggested in full lines in Fig. 4 and on all subsequent beat-ups of the lay the placer will pass below the thread W.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 5 the tube 35' and the hook 60 are so related that the notch 64 lies substantially on the axis of the tube. The right hand part of the thread W shown in Fig. 5 therefore leads from the hook or notch 64 into the air passage in tube 35 without touching the periphery of the intake mouth 36. Even though back and forth adjustment of the hook 66 is made by means of the slot 62 and the screw 63, the adjustment will not, however, disturb the essential relationship between the tube 35 and the thread W as already described, since in any of the adjusted positions of hook 60 the thread W will enter tube without touching the circumference of mouth 36 selvage at a point one pick behind the point of e attachment of the thread T of the selvage, hence the hook causes a crossing of these threads near the selvage and then a separation of them, as is clearlyindicated in Fig; 5. Because of this separation the temple cutter 41 first cuts the thread W', permittingv it to be drawn away from the Another important relationship of the threads selvage before the thread T is cut by the temple cutter. There is therefore no danger that the thread W will become entangled with the thread T when the latter is cut.

The notch 64 of the hook 60 is located not only in a position in front of a line drawn from the thread holder to the fell of the cloth, but is also located above that line so that the bend in the thread W is partly upward and partly forward. When being tensioned by the thread holder therefore the thread W exerts a light downward force as well as a light rearward force on the hook 60, and is thus held in the notch 64- From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means for=controlling the weft end W of the incoming bobbin-by means which places it" on a hook which holds. the threadin a position forwardly of the lay when the latter is on front center'so that the thread will not interfere with a downwardly moving bobbin should a second transfer occurbefore the H thread is cut 'by the temple cutter 41, Itwill also be seen that the lay carries a thread placer which normally traverses-a path belowthe' thread W but is operative to move the latter upthe inclined surface 65 of the hook 66L "=hlso, the notch 64 is located more or less on the axis of the tube 35 and the air passage through it so that the part of the thread extending from the hook toward the thread holder will enter the latter without engaging the periphery of the intake mouth 36. The hook 60 is located between the thread holder and the cutter 41, and is so located that it causes the thread W to be out before thread T is cut, despite the fact that the latter thread is one pick ahead of the thread W. This cutting of the thread of the incoming bobbin prior to the cutting of thread of the outgoing bobbin avoids entanglement of the two threads and prevents,

thread W from mover 34.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departbeing drawn into the thread reing from the spiritand scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a reserve bobbin transferred during a replenishing operation from a magazine into a shuttle which is subsequently picked away from the magazine, a pneumatic thread holder tending to draw said thread through an intake mouth thereof and into a thread passage therein, a stationary hook having a thread notch located on a straight line extending into said passage without touching the perimeter of said mouth, said hook having a rear edge extending upwardly and forwardly behind sair notch, means on said lay moving in a path below said notch and operative subsequent to said picking of the shuttle to move said thread up said edge and into said notch, and cutter mechanism operative thereafter to cut the thread at a point on that side of the hook opposite to said thread holder, whereupon said thread is drawn into said passage along said line.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin transferred during a replenishing operation into a shuttle which is subsequently picked to lay a weft thread which becomes attached to the cloth selvage, a pneumatic thread holder tending to draw the thread into a thread passage therein, a hook having a thread notch located substantially on the axis of said passage and in front of and at a level above a straight line ex tending from the thread passage to the pointof attachment of the thread to the selvage, means operating subsequent to picking of the shuttle to move the thread into said notch, and a cutter parting the thread-between the hook and selvage, whereupon the thread is drawn into said passage along a line extending from said notch into said passage.

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin transferred duringa replenishing operation into a shuttle which is subsequently picked to lay a weft thread which becomes attached to the cloth salvage. a pneumatic thread holder tending to draw the thread into a thread passage therein,

sa iwsoe V 7 aging]: maylhg :a dihrea'd .notoh located asubstanor BEFERENGES e :tzaliy onst-he -a|X1S-0f-JSa1d passage and :at "a, level The following references g o bfwrecord m the,

aboveya straight line extending from the thread. I I passage tothekpoint of attachment \of theithread file tms patent 1 110 the sewage, means operat ng subsequent to 5 V UNITED STATES PATENTS picking Toj the shuttle :to move the thread into said :nobch, and, a cutter parting the thread :be-

N um'ber Name Date a tween the hook and selvage, whereupon the 2,199,353 Tamer 30,1940

thread 'is :drawn into said Passage along :a' line 10 g???*--1-r*-+- wgg xtendin from .said notch nto sa-d. assa. o e .o I V 1 p 2,199,296 I Turner Apr. 2Q, 1940 RICHARD R, 2,233,373 W 2 1 1 2,336,321 Turner Decgfl, 1943 1,132,227, Stim-pson Mar. 13,1 91?) 

